Comments Off on The zero-electricity Gentlewasher does the laundry in five minutes flat

We’ve all been there – you need to wash just a few clothing items but you don’t have nearly enough for a full load of laundry . The gentlewasher offers a solution, washing clothes in five minutes with less water than washing machines and zero electricity . The hand-powered device can wash up to 12 T-shirts or eight dresses at a time, and it uses around 4.7 gallons of water – compare that to 13 gallons for an Energy Star washing machine, or 40 gallons for an older model washing machine. Need to wash delicates in a hurry? The gentlewasher makes hand-washing clothes a breeze. It’s easy to use: attach a water hose, put in clothes and a teaspoon of detergent, and start turning. After a two-minute wash cycle and two-minute rinse cycle, the garments are ready to hang-dry. The ergonomic handle ensures you won’t get too tired during the process. Related: 14-year-old girl invents pedal-powered washing machine from bike parts The gentlewasher lives up to its name, and it can actually prolong the life of your garments with the help of patented honeycomb holes that create a protective water layer so garments won’t come into contact with the drum. The company says that their product is the most sustainable and gentlest washing device for apparel ever. The company, based in the Netherlands, says results are “as good as a front-loading machine.” The gentlewasher is designed for clothes that should be washed by hand, but it can be used for all types of garments. It’s especially useful for people on the road – such as those traveling in an RV or camping. And it could even come in handy in between laundry loads or for cutting down trips to the laundromat for those living in tiny city apartments. The company says their mission is to “develop an affordable washing device for people around the world,” as five billion people worldwide still don’t have access to washing machines and must spend hours washing clothes. You can buy a gentlewasher online for $269. + gentlewasher Images courtesy of gentlewasher

Comments Off on BIG and WeWork reveal plans for interactive WeGrow kindergarten in New York City

International startup WeWork is expanding beyond its co-working roots with a public kindergarten in New York City called WeGrow. The innovative school will be designed in collaboration BIG Architects and will provide an environment for education in an interactive space that focuses on introspection, exploration, and discovery. WeGrow will be a public elementary school for kids ages three to nine that aims to function as an environment where youngsters can experience hands-on and experiential learning. The first images of the space show wooden play areas, large grey pods for climbing and sitting, and several modular classrooms and treehouses that facilitate interaction. Related: 10 brilliant communal designs helping people work and live together WeWork claims that the new kindergarten will “focus as much on the growth of our children’s spirits as we will their minds.” References to various natural phenomena, as well as an element of futurism, permeate the new WeGrow concept, set to open its first location in Chelsea next autumn. “The design starts from the premise of a school universe at the level of the child: a field of super-elliptic objects forms a learning landscape that’s dense and rational – yet free and fluid,” said the firm. + BIG Architects Via Dezeen

Comments Off on Portable SolSource Sport solar stove heats up 5X faster than a charcoal grill

Imagine visiting your favorite local park with a portable stove that’s 100 percent powered by the sun and heats up five times faster than a charcoal grill. Meet the SolSource Sport. One Earth Designs is crowdfunding their latest compact solar cooker just in time for summer . The SolSource Sport focuses light onto cookware to get food sizzling and ready to eat super quickly. It can be used in places like national parks or apartment rooftops that don’t allow fires, because this solar cooker doesn’t need a flame to operate. With the versatile stove, you can grill, pan fry, boil, stir fry, or reheat meals. And you can use most of the cookware you already own instead of buying new pots or pans. The solar cooker gets up to grilling temperatures in a snappy five minutes, and reaches searing temperatures in 10 minutes. Related: SolSource Air: One Earth Designs Taps Google Glass Creator to Launch Portable, Affordable Solar Stove The SolSource Sport works in a variety of sun conditions – from one hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset, and in air temperatures between 30 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. You can even cook in the snow as long as the sun is shining. And since sunlight is the only fuel necessary, the SolSource Sport doesn’t produce any carbon emissions . The surface of the solar cooker stays cool to the touch, making it safe to use. The stove pops up and breaks down in around five minutes, and it can be stored inside a two-foot-long carrying bag. One Earth Designs has already raised nearly $75,000 out of an original goal of $20,000 on Kickstarter . You can snag one of these affordable little cookers for under $200 if you’re fast (retail price is $249). + One Earth Designs Images via One Earth Designs

Comments Off on Recirculating e-Shower uses 80% less energy and 90% less water than other showers

Water-saving showers conserve one of the world’s most precious resources, but their flow rate leaves something to be desired. Enter Hamwells ‘ e-Shower, which pumps out recirculating water at a pressure reminiscent of less efficient showers. Lloyd Alter at Treehugger points out how the sustainable system values comfort and luxury, all while saving 80 percent of energy and 90 percent of water used in typical showers. Read the rest of Recirculating e-Shower uses 80% less energy and 90% less water than other showers

Comments Off on Dyson’s super quiet Pure Cool air purifier removes 99.95% of harmful particles from the air

’Tis the season to spend more time in our humble abodes, but before we snuggle in, it might be time to clear the air. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency , the average person absorbs an estimated 72 percent of chemicals in their own homes. Mold, household cleaners, pesticides, gases such as radon and carbon monoxide, and building materials such as asbestos, formaldehyde and lead can linger in the home. When breathed in, they can remain in our lungs and potentially cause heart attacks, strokes and skin aging. These pollutants release ultra fine particles as small as 0.1 microns into the air, which the lungs absorb quickly and easily. Unfortunately, they are very hard to trap in standard air purifiers. So we recently tried out Dyson’s Pure Cool air purifier and fan, which is said to clear 99.95 percent of even the most microscopic particles in the air. Here’s what we found. Read the rest of Dyson’s super quiet Pure Cool air purifier removes 99.95% of harmful particles from the air

Comments Off on Google’s free online solar power calculator expands to 9 sun-drenched states

This summer, Google somewhat quietly launched a cool online tool that lets property owners calculate their rooftop solar energy potential. Project Sunroof is free to use and even helps people connect with solar installers to get the ball rolling, but there was a catch. In order to take advantage of Google’s free assessment, your address had to be in Boston (where the project started), San Francisco, or Fresno, California. Google has now announced the expansion of the project to include nine more solar-friendly regions of the United States. Read the rest of Google’s free online solar power calculator expands to 9 sun-drenched states

Comments Off on Hand-powered Circo dishwasher saves time, space, money and water

Washing dishes by hand can be so tedious and wasteful, so Chen Levin designed a small dishwasher powered by human kinetic energy that can fit in even the smallest of spaces. It is estimated that 75 percent of the global population will live in urban areas by 2050. While this urbanization presents great opportunities, it will be an enormous challenge to ensure that energy and space is distributed efficiently and equitably for who will call the city their home. An aspiring engineer from Israel, Levin’s Circo Independent dishwasher will hopefully help meet the demands of a dense urban future. Read the rest of Hand-powered Circo dishwasher saves time, space, money and water

Comments Off on Boyan Slat’s Great Pacific Garbage Patch expedition shows the plastic problem is “even bigger than we thought”

Last month Boyan Slat ‘s Ocean Cleanup project sent a fleet of scientists and volunteers to measure and map the waves of plastic trash making their way across the Pacific tides toward the West coast. They concentrated on an area known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch , which is estimated to be twice the size of Texas. After returning, they report the plastic waste problem is much bigger than we previously thought. Read the rest of Boyan Slat’s Great Pacific Garbage Patch expedition shows the plastic problem is “even bigger than we thought”

Comments Off on Brilliant SALt lamp runs 8 hours on just 1 glass of salty water

Rural communities in the Philippines will soon be trading in candles and battery-powered devices for lamps that run on salt water . The Sustainable Alternative Lighting project, known as SALt, has given this nation of 7,000 islands an important tool to use their most ubiquitous resource, salt water, in a safe and environmentally-friendly way. Read the rest of Brilliant SALt lamp runs 8 hours on just 1 glass of salty water